Studies in Tampere are very flexible

Master’s Degree Programme in Global and Transnational Sociology

Thi Bich Tram Nguyen is a second-year student at the Master’s Degree Programme in Global and Transnational Sociology. Before coming to Tampere, Tram got both her Bachelor’s (International Relations) and Master’s (Business) degree in Vietnam, her home country.

“My friend, who studies in Oulu, recommended Finland to me. Me and my husband applied to several universities in Finland and got both accepted to Tampere, me at UTA and my husband in Tampere University of Technology, TUT.”

The biggest reasons to choose Finland were the quality of education and high standard of living.

Studies in Tampere have been very flexible compared to the set module in Vietnam. Students are able to choose courses according to their own liking and concentrate on the things they find interesting.

Students in Tram’s degree programme come from various backgrounds: from very different countries and with different previous degrees and studies, so the studies are truly transnational.

“I am a person who wants to get to know people from all over the world. The more you learn about other cultures, the more tolerant you become. I think it is very important to be tolerant, if you are going to work in an intercultural environment after your graduation.”

Many students in the programme have done previous studies in social sciences or business, just like Tram.

Tham describes Finns with two words: kind and patient. According to her experience, everybody from the University staff to strangers at the streets are always ready to help if needed.

“Even if people don’t speak that much of English, they try to help”, Tram explains.

Even though Vietnam is far away from Finland, Tram gets to celebrate traditional holidays with fellow Vietnamese people. There are about 40 Vietnamese students at the University of Tampere alone.

After her graduation, Tram hopes to build a career in diplomatic areas and international fares. She hopes to get a job in Finland and see what Finnish working culture is like.

Moving to Finland didn’t mean just a new study environment – Tram’s life has changed in other ways too.

“When we moved here, my now-husband proposed to me and we got married here at a local register office. Later we went back to Vietnam to have the traditional ceremony. I can say that Vietnam is where our love began, but Finland is where we make a family.”